


Moving In

by BaronVonChop



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:32:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7270288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Obi-Wan Kenobi is a grad student who sees Asajj Ventress trying to lug a massive trunk full of her things up the stairs in his apartment building. Kenobi wants to help out, but Ventress does not want his help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving In

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Obi-Wan Kenobi pushed his chair back from his desk and ran a hand through his hair with a satisfied sigh. Nearby, a small laser printer pushed out several sheets of paper: the syllabi for the classes Kenobi would be teaching during the upcoming semester. He stood, stretched, and picked up the syllabi, which he deposited into his briefcase.

Now it was time for the treat he had been promising himself as a reward. He crossed the apartment, put on his shoes, and headed out the door. It was time to go to the coffee shop and get himself a coffee. As he walked down the hallway, he thought he might even get a latte.

_Let’s not get carried away,_ he chided himself.

He entered the stairwell and paused. On the stairs below, a pale woman grunted and strained as she fought to lift an enormous black trunk up the stairs. The trunk looked like something out of an ancient war, black and battered, with corroded metal reinforcements on the corners. The woman struggling with the trunk was no less striking. She was pale and lean, with tattoos running down from the corners of her mouth and a completely shaved head.

Kenobi was in a quandary: he wanted to help her, but he did not want to imply that she needed his help. As he thought about what to do next, she raised her eyes and glared at him. He found himself transfixed by her contemptuous gaze.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice deep and raspy.

He scrambled for something to day. “The elevator must still be out.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can tell you’re dying to offer to help. Just come out and say it.”

Kenobi nodded. “Very well. May I help you?”

“Absolutely not.”

Obi-Wan found himself chuckling, which earned a sharp look from the woman. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he said, putting on a charming smile.

“I take it you’re also a grad student?” the woman asked.

He nodded. “Philosophy. And you?”

“Literature.” She gathered her strength and heaved the trunk up another step. She leaned on the trunk, catching her breath. Without looking up, she added, “Asajj Ventress.”

“Nice to meet you, Asajj Ventress.”

She gritted her teeth. “I’m not really interested in having a conversation right now.” She crouched and pushed on a corner of the trunk, but succeeded only in rotating it 90 degrees, without moving it up at all.

“Well, the stairs are too narrow for me to get past you, and since the elevator is out, I have no choice but to wait for you.” He had meant to simply state the facts, but it came out smarmier than he intended.

“Wonderful.” She clenched her jaw and slowly lifted the front of the trunk to the next step. She balanced it on both steps while she adjusted her grip, but just when she started lifting the rear of the trunk, the front fell back down to the previous step, nearly smashing her fingers.

She swore and gave the trunk a savage kick. Her shoulders rising and falling, she glanced up at Kenobi. “Enjoying the show?”

Perhaps he was, he realized. There was something fascinating, even alluring, about her anger. “Are you sure you don’t want my help?”

“I’m positive I don’t want your help,” she replied, her voice dripping venom. “But it seems I have no choice.”

Deciding that was all the invitation he was going to receive, Obi-Wan descended the stairs to the trunk, took hold of the front of it, and lifted along with Ventress. Even with both of them carrying it, they could barely lift the trunk clear of the stairs, and Obi-Wan staggered up the stairs as best he could while hoping fervently that he did not drop it on his feet.

They made it to the landing between floors. “I need a break,” Obi-Wan gasped, and they set down the trunk. Kenobi leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. Ventress crossed her arms and watched him. She, too, was breathing hard, though she tried not to show it.

“Oh, worn out already?” Ventress sneered.

Kenobi ran a hand over his beard, but decided to save his breath. When he felt ready to go again, he bent his knees and grabbed hold of the trunk. “Ready?”

Without deigning to reply, Ventress took hold of her end, and together the two of them lifted the trunk. Step by step, they staggered up the stairs. Obi-Wan felt the sweat pouring down his face, and he was sure he was making the most undignified faces as he puffed and grimaced. Still, he took each step one at a time, summoning the strength to lift the trunk just a little more.

He nearly fell backward when he raised a foot and tried to put it on a stair that wasn’t there. They had finally reached the next floor.

When the trunk was safely on the ground, Obi-Wan leaned against the wall, taking deep lungfuls of air.

Ventress snorted. “Color me surprised. I would have thought a philosophy student would have more stamina,” she deadpanned. “What a disappointment.”

Kenobi lifted his shirt at the collar to wipe his face, and when he pulled his shirt back down, he thought he saw Ventress quickly look away from his exposed stomach. He shook his head and managed a weary smile. “What do you have in there, anyway?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Asajj retorted.

He hadn’t given it much thought, besides some inevitable mental images of the trunk being packed full of bricks and bowling balls, but now other, decidedly more interesting images came to mind, full of chains and black leather. “I dearly hope this is your floor,” Kenobi said.

He was already expecting a biting response, and sure enough, Ventress scowled and said, “Why, because it’s yours? How precious. Perhaps we’ll be neighbors.” Kenobi raised his eyebrows at her, choosing not to respond. “Yes, it’s my floor,” Ventress added.

Obi-Wan sagged with relief. “All right. Only a little further to go.” The thought gave him strength, and a moment later, they had the trunk aloft again. They lugged the chest to Ventress’s apartment, and when they finally made it, Kenobi nearly collapsed with exhaustion.

“I think I can take it from here,” Ventress said. She leaned forward and put her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. She only allowed herself this display of weakness for a few moments before she straightened again. “Well, what are you waiting for? A thank-you?”

Obi-Wan remembered that he had been planning on getting coffee, but now all he wanted to do was to sit for a while. “You’re welcome,” he said, his eyes glittering with a hint of mischief. Her outraged expression almost made the ordeal worth it, but it was not as good as the look on her face when he crossed the hall, unlocked the door, and entered his apartment.

He was already looking forward to the next time he would bump into his new neighbor.


End file.
